Sheep
Jura
Wednesday 1 December, 2010
Hmm, just when I thought all the ewes were tupped, Jura seemed to have a greener bum. That will be her third service. If she isn't in lamb now, then she's down the road. Although she's quite a good looking ewe, she's had two single lambs, each time way after the other two ewes lambed and she's a bit bonkers.
Vet's going to scan them on the 20th, but if she was succesfully mated on the 25th November, it will be too early for him to tell if she's in lamb. What a pest she is.
Looks like Leo's done his stuff
Wednesday 24 November, 2010
Well, it looks like Leo's done his stuff. Apart from Jura, who's been covered twice, none of the other ewes seem to have come back into season. Jura will be 16 days past her second service tomorrow, so if Leo shows no interest, that will be his job done for this year.
We're planning to move the ewes into the five acre field on Friday, with the three ewe lambs. Dickie will join Leo in the orchard. The five acre field has a good field shelter. The ewes will stay there until lambing time; once lambed, they'll go into Sheepfold, I think.
Lambs gone
Saturday 20 November, 2010
Our first two tup lambs went for slaughter last Monday. All went smoothly, with Dan taking them to St Andrew's. The butcher phoned me yesterday to discuss how I wanted them cut up. He didn't have the abattoir report to hand, so I'll get the deadweights and the state of the liver then.
The butcher was pleased with them and was looking forward to cutting them up. He said that, while they didn't have the back end of a Texel, they had fabulous shoulders. He also said the eye muscle on the ribs was very good. They were a bit fat - we let them run on a month longer than I had planned - but weren't too bad.
Green bum
Wednesday 10 November, 2010
I spoke too soon. I changed Leo's raddle to green on Tuesday and Jura has a green bum. She was tupped 16 days previous to that. If she holds this time, it actually give me a more compact lambing period than her first service and a better chance for the grass to come in, so it may be a blessing in disguise.
However, I'll be waiting anxiously in case others come back into season, which would indicate a problem with Leo, which wouldn't be good. Fingers crossed that Jura is a one-off.
All done!
Monday 8 November, 2010
The last of my six ewes has been tupped, two weeks after the first. I'll change Leo's raddle tomorrow and keep my fingers crossed that none come back. Assuming they all hold, a two week lambing period, 20th March to 3rd April, will be nice - instead of six weeks last year for three ewes.
Next thing will be arranging scanning - the girl I've used previously doesn't work in this area and it's not always easy to get someone who will do a lock of six. Still, I have a few weeks yet, so will at it to the bottom of my "To Do" list.
Five down, one to go
Tuesday 2 November, 2010
Luna has now joined the yellow bum club. Just Lucy to go now - she's huge. Maybe Leo needs a box.
Juno joins the club
Sunday 31 October, 2010
That's the "yellow bum club". Just Luna and Lucy to go now. If they all hold, we should have a nice compact lambing period.
More yellow bums!
Friday 29 October, 2010
Lyra and Jinx this time! Oh, for a nice compact lambing - three down, three to go.
Lambs away
Thursday 28 October, 2010
Our first lambs are booked for the abbatoir / butchers on the 15th November. We were happy that there was an abbatoir close to us at Brechin but it closed just after we moved here. So it will be St Andrew's instead. The good thing about St Andrew's, which isn't all that far away, is that there is a butcher on site. I had a chat with him today and he seems a nice bloke and is very helpful. It's costing £40 per lamb for killing, butchering and vacuum packing.
These are the first lambs we've had away - last year, we kept the two tup lambs - one as a tup, and one as a wether. Although I'll be sad in a way to see them go, I'm also looking forward to our first Ryeland lamb. If Leo doesn't get a move on, we might have to make them last two years!!
Jura has a yellow bum!
Sunday 24 October, 2010
Yesterday, we trimmed the ewes' feet, dagged them and moved the ewe lambs to Sheepfold. Then we took Leo to meet his girls!
Attractively raddled in yellow, he was quickly checking them all out. When he could catch them! They didn't seem quite as keen as he was.
However, this morning, Jura has a very yellow bum. I'm surprised as in both previous lambings, she's been last by a long way. Of course, she might not hold but it's in the diary, so we'll be checking twice daily for any more actvity.
